Police have arrested 25 individuals and named approximately 2,000 suspects following violent clashes, arson, and widespread vandalism during an anti-encroachment drive at Dhaka’s Mirpur-10 roundabout.
Law enforcement agencies and civic authorities confirmed on Thursday that four separate cases have been filed across two police stations to investigate the violent opposition encountered during the municipal operation. Three of the complaints were registered with Mirpur Model Police Station, whilst the fourth was filed at Kafrul Police Station.
The confrontation began on Wednesday morning when a team from the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) initiated an eviction drive to clear unauthorized roadside structures and hawkers occupying the busy footpaths between Mirpur-10 roundabout and Hope Market. According to local witnesses, tensions escalated rapidly beneath the Baitul Quddus Jame Mosque Market, where an excavator removing floating makeshift stalls accidentally snagged and severed an overhead power line, sparking a localized fire.
The incident infuriated gathered vendors, and the municipal operation quickly dissolved into violent riots. Protesters attacked city officials and police with bricks and stones. Rioters set fire to three DNCC vehicles and severely damaged a police pickup van, an excavator, and several other vehicles in the vicinity. Traffic control boxes were smashed, and multiple police officers as well as media professionals covering the scene sustained injuries. Officers eventually fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd and regain control.
Following the outbreak, law enforcement officers initially detained 30 individuals from the scene. Mirpur Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Hafizur Rahman stated that after thorough screening, five detainees were released without charge, whilst 25 suspects—including at least one named in the First Information Report—were formally arrested.
The police have filed two cases at Mirpur Model Police Station, citing charges of physical assault on duty officers, obstruction of public servants, destruction of state assets, and damage to police property. The DNCC filed two additional complaints—one at Mirpur Model Police Station and another at Kafrul Police Station—specifically addressing arson and the destruction of municipal vehicles. Each case names hundreds of unidentified perpetrators.
Kafrul Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Saiful Islam noted that no arrests have yet been made under his station’s arson case. Deputy Commissioner of the Mirpur Police Division, Hasan Mohammad Naser Rikabdar, confirmed that investigators are currently scrutinizing video footage, photographs, and field intelligence to identify the remaining perpetrators. Meanwhile, DNCC authorities reaffirmed that operations to reclaim public footpaths in the capital will continue unabated.
